I trust that you have had a good summer and that it has been a time to relax, refresh, recharge and now you are ready to refocus for this final portion of 2025. Gordon and I had deliberately kept July and August fairly fluid in terms of ministry and took time to connect with friends and rest. However, life always has its surprises and, unfortunately, these months were a little less restful than planned!
After a visit to the optician earlier in the year I was informed that I was “losing my peripheral vision” (worrying for a prophet!) due to my poor eyelid reflex and that I needed surgery on both eyes to correct this. After a few delays, this surgery was finally performed on the 10th July and was NOT a pleasant experience! However, all appeared to be successful and my eyes healed well…until we went on holiday to Northern Ireland. The weather was perfect and Ireland is such a place of peace and beauty. BUT on the second day I ended up in the Accident and Emergency department with severe stabbing pain in my right eye. It was like fire and so painful. For the next 5 days I remained in a dark room, on lots of pain medication, while I waited for the diagnosed tear in the cornea of my right eye to heal. But the pain never subsided so I returned to a specialist ophthalmic eye unit and this time they found that I had 2-3 stitches embedded under my right eyelid that were scratching the eyeball and causing multiple corneal abrasions. Once these stitches were identified and removed, my body came to peace: the pain stopped and my eye started to respond to light and life normally! Thank God for good doctors who patiently looked for the solution. The last 5 days of the holiday were special!!
As I considered this experience I thought about our eyes, our body and how we function. When my eye was distressed, I could do nothing. The eye surgeon informed me that our eyes have 300 more nerve endings than any equivalent area of skin. It is highly sensitive! Just a tiny foreign body can cause the eye such distress and pain that it completely limits your ability to function. We read in 1 Cor 12:18-31 that God designed a body with different sensibilities and abilities to work together for the complete picture. Each gift has strengths and weaknesses. The eye is highly sensitive…. and maybe some would say too sensitive…but it fulfils a vital function. So we read:
But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, nor are those parts of the body that seem to be weaker indispensable – But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues…. 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
At this time God is speaking to us about collaborative partnerships and cluster anointing – where we work together, blending our strengths for the greater good. I have just experienced what it is like when the eye suffers – it is crippling! God reminds us that if one part is suffering, we are all affected – the whole body functions poorly. I believe more than ever, we all need to learn how we can strengthen, build up, resource and encourage each other to function well. Can we run together as churches, ministries and lovers of Jesus in our regions and cities and see His body functioning in a healthy way in this latter part of 2025? Do we discern where the body is suffering and how we can help restore health? Just a small adjustment to my eyelid changed everything! I could see. I could function. I was free from pain! Let us also be the peacemakers, discerners and healers of the wounded areas so that we all function well in this last part of 2025.
After these unplanned adventures over the summer, as a Heartcry team we are preparing for a return to ministry engagements and a busy month ahead. Gordon and I will be in Bergen, Norway, at the end of August for the weekend. September will be UK-based with many speaking engagements and training times for leaders, church teams and networks. Helen will be back at work and beginning to fulfil ministry engagements – please pray for her as she begins to travel again. Her time of surgery recovery and recuperation over the last few months have given her time to write a book on the Holy Spirit as a tool to help in the journey of discovering our divine partner and empowering Helper. With so many people coming to faith in Jesus, we believe there is a need for discipleship resources to equip and inspire a hungry generation. We will be editing the draft manuscript and then plan to release the book towards the end of this year so look out for that in the autumn!
Here is an overview of the schedule for this coming month:
Ministry Dates end-August & September 2025
29-31 August Bergen, Norway (Rachel & Gordon)
5-7 September Motherwell Elim Church Weekend away, Scotland (Helen)
6-7 September Coventry Elim away weekend & Sunday services (Rachel & Gordon)
7 September Fresh Bread message – Heartcry social platforms (Helen)
12-13 September Rediscover Business Conference, Exeter, UK (Rachel, Gordon & Helen)
14 September Rediscover Church services, Exeter, UK (Rachel preaching)
16-18 September Strategic prayer leaders meetings, Oxford, UK
22-23 September One Church network training, Gloucester, UK (Rachel, Gordon & Helen)
27 September Heartcry “Presence & Power” Legacy Day, Oxford, UK
As you can see, our next Heartcry Legacy Day is on Saturday 27 September in Oxford. This will be a day of worship, prayer and prophetic encouragement with the focus of Look to Jesus – Stand Firm – Take Courage. In the ongoing turmoil in the nations, we have a sure foundation – Jesus, our Rock and Refuge. Do join us and bring some friends – bookings are open through our website at https://heartcryforchange.com/product/presence-power-heartcry-legacy-day-27-09-25/ .
Thank you for all your support and encouragement. Have a great September!
All our love,
Rachel, Gordon and Helen.